tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54469421344346863932017-02-08T20:45:11.853-08:00The Mostly Lovely LlamaLidia Smithnoreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-78412815395283358902014-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:002014-10-15T09:00:08.552-07:00On Undercooking the VegetablesSometimes I look at the littlest Llama and I just think, "what?"<br /><br />Like yesterday. When she chowed down on frozen vegetables. And I mean really went to town. On frozen. Vegetables. But only the peas and the carrots and the corn. I couldn't pay her enough to not throw the green beans onto the floor. Because honestly, Mom.<br /><br />Exhibit A:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zqftMHEPQHg/VD4eego40rI/AAAAAAAAA0o/5JQA1h4Lbb0/s1600/IMG_2732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zqftMHEPQHg/VD4eego40rI/AAAAAAAAA0o/5JQA1h4Lbb0/s1600/IMG_2732.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br />Do you see the frost on those carrots?<br /><br />I don't know about you, but it never would have crossed my mind to eat them without putting them in the microwave first. Still, the pediatrician did recommend frozen peas a month ago for the teething monstrosity, and yesterday she wasn't a monstrosity, but I was lazy. And the kid totally dug them. She ate probably triple what I expected her to, which is a total breakthrough because lately she has been all about the bread and fruit and the dairy and extremely, deeply, down in her soul against vegetables of any kind except steamed carrots. So success!<br /><br />I'm thinking next time we'll try frozen tamales. Maybe my laziness is the key to her having a well balanced diet.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-55277463590912099872014-10-14T11:44:00.002-07:002014-10-14T11:45:19.760-07:00What's it like staying home with my daughter? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYWmK2sVbf4/VD1uw1KxxQI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/a3xPYSPcRJA/s1600/IMG_2684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AYWmK2sVbf4/VD1uw1KxxQI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/a3xPYSPcRJA/s1600/IMG_2684.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Some days its like,&nbsp;"Of course I'll read you a book, how could I not when you climb into my lap so sweetly? Wow, you slept for three whole hours. Are you ready to play? Of course we can go outside and play with your car. Thank you for sharing your cracker."&nbsp;And then other days its more like, "No! Put that down! Those are Mommy's books. I don't understand why you're crying. No, I don't think that goes on your head. I don't think the straw sippy will work when you tip it that way. Please let Mommy go potty." And the funny thing is that I love both types of days. Even though after one I'm left exhausted and touched out and quite possibly a little irritable (ask my husband), I still feel... accomplished. Because when you've spent all day averting tantrums and cuddling through the tears and standing your ground sometimes and giving in others... you know when you go to sleep that you've accomplished something.<br /><br />"Today I kept the baby alive." And that's totally enough because there were moments where you were tempted to just shut yourself in your room and let her climb all over everything and take the kitchen apart and throw every piece of food in your refrigerator on the floor, but you didn't.<br /><br />"Today she was a terror." And she definitely was, because she wouldn't let you cook dinner without screaming for attention and you couldn't handle one more melt down without melting down yourself, so you threw your hands up in the air and said "do you want a cracker?" because she thinks cracker means food, and you fixed her another peanut butter an jelly sandwich.<br /><br />At the end of the day though, after she's in bed and she has woken up for the second time crying, and you're holding her in your arms letting her tears fall on your shoulder again, you remember how fiercely you love her, and how fleeting it all is. So you rock her and sing to her and pat her back, and even though she's still crying you can feel her calming down and getting drowsy, and you let her just smile at you for a while because you will never ever get eleven pm on this Saturday night to happen again.<br /><br />That's what it's like, even on the awful days. It's knowing that you'd rather spend the bad moments with her than away from her, because you love her more than you love yourself, and even when she's scrunching her face up and throwing a fit she's the most beautiful thing in your world.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQGCfJe3r48/VD1u597mC3I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/5eM13tQfITI/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQGCfJe3r48/VD1u597mC3I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/5eM13tQfITI/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-7371537027519933612014-04-30T16:17:00.002-07:002014-04-30T16:17:59.545-07:00The Talented Mr. LlamaLast night Mr. Llama baked me a cake. And no that's not a euphemism for anything. He baked me an actual cake. A carrot cake, to be exact. It was oh so tasty, more-so because he did it all himself. And just so you understand what this cake meant to me, I will tell you that my husband is not a baker. He likes to eat the fruits of my labor, but anytime I pull out the all purpose flour and the sugar and the eggs, he clears out. He says the kitchen is too small for more than one person to be in it at a time, but I know the truth. Mr. Llama thinks baking is mysterious and a bit girly, so he leaves it to me.<br /><br />Not last night though, last night he baked for my birthday and discovered that it's not quite as mysterious as he might have imagined, all you have to do is follow a recipe and be patient. I will say though, that as delicious as the cake was, I'm not sure I want him baking for me more often than once annually. I mean, there has to be something I do better than him, right?<br /><br />Now, I wanted to get some pictures of the baking and the cake to share here, but Leighton was having none of it (for a photogenic man, he doesn't enjoy being photographed), so instead I'll leave you with today's picture. A happy baby, brought to you by <i>Baby Signing Time</i>. This kid <i>loves</i>&nbsp;that video.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnlm5qdiAFw/U2GCDvE2sqI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/o5seB7-N86w/s1600/IMG_9378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnlm5qdiAFw/U2GCDvE2sqI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/o5seB7-N86w/s1600/IMG_9378.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now please excuse me while I try to cheer up the chastised baby who thinks it's good fun to bite mommy's knee while she's typing on the laptop.&nbsp;</div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-650562838208753662014-04-29T11:23:00.000-07:002014-04-29T11:23:58.355-07:00Great Subject MatterYou could probably tell from my previous posts that I enjoy photography. There's just something about a picture with good composition and lighting that makes me happy. Ruby is an especially good subject. Her skin is soft and clear, her hair glimmers in the sun, and those lips are so perfectly shaped. All I have to do is point a camera at her and the two of them do the work. It doesn't even need to be my good camera, she looks good on an iPhone just the same.<br /><br />Still, even though the baby practically makes the picture, I like to practice all the same. And recently I've had the opportunity to practice with some new subjects. Sure, those kids photographed just as well as mine, but they did move slightly more, so I had to work just a tad harder to get a good shot. I surprised myself with more than one good photo, and realized in the process that this dream I've had of starting a small photography business on the side may not be a complete fantasy. I toyed with the idea of starting a Facebook page to advertise myself, but as I began last night I had this overwhelming urge to hide and do nothing, because if I tried everyone would see what a poser I am, how unrealistic my expectations are, and how unprofessional my photographs actually are.<br /><br />But then, Leighton gave me this look like, "don't be crazy," and started helping me think of names for my little business. So once that's done I think I <i>will</i>&nbsp;make a Facebook page and just put my photos up there and hope someone needs some cheap amateur portraits of their photogenic children.<br /><br />Oh! And I figured out how to make a watermark in lightroom! I'm practically a pro.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REjI3piqNDs/U1_r-TtzLSI/AAAAAAAAAyo/lodHU8LlZG0/s1600/IMG_8874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-REjI3piqNDs/U1_r-TtzLSI/AAAAAAAAAyo/lodHU8LlZG0/s1600/IMG_8874.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KaPej1zGP80/U1_r-r4BfDI/AAAAAAAAAys/ljIvBbpwXfs/s1600/IMG_9220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KaPej1zGP80/U1_r-r4BfDI/AAAAAAAAAys/ljIvBbpwXfs/s1600/IMG_9220.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many thanks to Peter and Zachie's mommy and daddy for bearing with this novice photographer. &lt;3&nbsp;</div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-87126910250916500862014-04-28T20:05:00.002-07:002014-04-28T20:05:50.468-07:00Wake Up, You. Sometimes, my writing soul hibernates and I leave my not so secret corners of the internet to grow weeds. That was my October through April. Its not that I wrote nothing, because I did flex my fingers to type an embarrassing amount of fan fiction that I'll never share here. No, its that my heart didn't compose as it went through life anymore, and that is a terrible place to be for a blogger.<br /><br />But then, a few weeks ago it happened. I was going about my day, watching completely ordinary things go on around me, and it all looked like magic. I could hear lines forming in my head and could practically feel the key strokes under my fingers because I knew that if I were to write about my day, I could turn it into something beautiful. Of course I didn't. I was out of practice and scared to pick back up my microphone. What if I got it wrong? What if this break was the one during which I'd managed to lose my voice and what I wrote sounded more like an assignment than like me? What if being a mother had dried up this special part of who I am, the part that looks at the world like its a story needing to be told?<br /><br />I'm still here though, it turns out. My writing brain was just resting and now its back, which is excellent because I have more to write about than ever before. My baby is ten months old now. Ten months! She can almost walk and she looks more like a little person than an infant every day. I don't want to forget this time, I don't want to forget the way she tries to bite my knees when I'm sitting, or the way her face lights up when she sees me pull out my lap top. I want to remember it all, be able to look back and laugh and smile because I caught it all here like a butterfly in a bell jar.<br /><br />So good morning world, I'm here again.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Also, I don't want to forget this.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2nu3ktRhtQE/U18W29Yhz5I/AAAAAAAAAxk/kOGL5lhgz9A/s1600/IMG_9295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2nu3ktRhtQE/U18W29Yhz5I/AAAAAAAAAxk/kOGL5lhgz9A/s1600/IMG_9295.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNc3ml4s-tM/U18W3Jq0p4I/AAAAAAAAAxs/N--0E0bOl9o/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SNc3ml4s-tM/U18W3Jq0p4I/AAAAAAAAAxs/N--0E0bOl9o/s1600/IMG_9307.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5vfTv66OCms/U18W29dvHpI/AAAAAAAAAxo/AgJJiF5ZdZY/s1600/IMG_9316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5vfTv66OCms/U18W29dvHpI/AAAAAAAAAxo/AgJJiF5ZdZY/s1600/IMG_9316.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQWJyhLMUnc/U18W5g2zEaI/AAAAAAAAAx8/cFtM8iJNXDc/s1600/IMG_9340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AQWJyhLMUnc/U18W5g2zEaI/AAAAAAAAAx8/cFtM8iJNXDc/s1600/IMG_9340.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-82061635494880520662013-10-02T15:16:00.001-07:002013-10-02T15:16:22.600-07:00Park DaysToday was another lovely day. We woke up late (because mama was a silly goose and didn't go to sleep until midnight last night) and had a big steaming bowl of oatmeal (me) with a side of boob (Ruby). Then it was off to the park where a bunch of sweet girls from church meet on Wednesdays to chat and let their children play. Ruby hung out on a blanket under some shade and just stared at the whole wide world around her. It was pretty adorable.&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vz01KNPgNSg/UkybNCxPTyI/AAAAAAAAAwI/FWRmwVzhXsY/s640/blogger-image-2033394598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vz01KNPgNSg/UkybNCxPTyI/AAAAAAAAAwI/FWRmwVzhXsY/s640/blogger-image-2033394598.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vz01KNPgNSg/UkybNCxPTyI/AAAAAAAAAwI/FWRmwVzhXsY/s640/blogger-image-2033394598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CjaKXU1e46E/UkybL2UatpI/AAAAAAAAAwA/-y90tgUTosk/s640/blogger-image--513800608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CjaKXU1e46E/UkybL2UatpI/AAAAAAAAAwA/-y90tgUTosk/s640/blogger-image--513800608.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Anywho. The park was great (75 degrees and mostly sunny!) but Rubyroo eventually became tired and cranky because she is a baby and that is just what happens when you're a baby and there's a lot going on. So we left and stopped at the store to get some frozen pizzas from the store which I'm planning on feeding to some missionaries tonight along with whatever pastry I decide to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And in other news, trying to run with a jogging stroller is HARD. Like seriously, out a fifteen pound weight in a stroller some time and go for a jog. See how far you make it, because I went maybe a quarter of a mile before I had to stop.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now here's my view at the moment to say ciao with.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9KHRZ6YJPfQ/UkybKfTaWgI/AAAAAAAAAv4/y84cDJ-vIIM/s640/blogger-image--2069220199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9KHRZ6YJPfQ/UkybKfTaWgI/AAAAAAAAAv4/y84cDJ-vIIM/s640/blogger-image--2069220199.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-42420971044474432292013-10-01T07:30:00.000-07:002013-10-01T07:30:00.870-07:00Freeeedooooooooom!!!So having a car is divine. I never realized before how awesome being out of the house is. I mean, when we lived in Arizona I worked from home and we went out on dates and I could just up and leave whenever I had the inkling because There was always a car at my disposal. But then we moved to California and Leighton started bringing home that delicious bacon and I had a baby and then I was home all day with her and netflix is really a vortex so I got sucked in and watched three (THREE) whole TV series in just a few months. And I'm talking hour long shows with seven seasons or more. My brain is <i>fried</i>.<br /><br />Which is why Dolores has changed the name of the game. Yesterday was so sweet. SO. SWEET. Baby Llama and I woke up and did a couple chores and then loaded into our new car to head to a friends house, where we made some pretty tasty very streusel muffins and consumed them. Then we headed to a park where we got to hang out on a blanket and stare at the trees and the sky and the kids playing on the (really low) monkey bars. It was great.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1kI_lrK2eJM/UkpaqXxScmI/AAAAAAAAAvY/7tKPR7Bz7jU/s1600/IMG_3205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1kI_lrK2eJM/UkpaqXxScmI/AAAAAAAAAvY/7tKPR7Bz7jU/s640/IMG_3205.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8OyTH32nyo/Ukpa-ncW-JI/AAAAAAAAAvo/lR1pCLZepS4/s1600/IMG_3208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J8OyTH32nyo/Ukpa-ncW-JI/AAAAAAAAAvo/lR1pCLZepS4/s640/IMG_3208.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />&nbsp;After that it was home for a nap and then off again like a flash to the bank and some random person's house where we picked up a $20 jogging stroller and then to the pet food store where we bought Cedric's very special and rare grain-free doggie food because he breaks out into hives when he eats anything else other than people food. Because he is a drama llama dog.<br /><br />And guys, our whole day was exhilarating. I felt alive and occupied and not like I should eat the house out of boredom. That's the thing about being home all day every day, you have a tendency to live around meal times, whereas when I'm out and about, meals are more of a secondary thing and I don't feel hungry at random moments because I'm focused on doing cool things.<br /><br />Case in point. What I did at home this evening.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgDIQo1pRMQ/UkpatiTw2TI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Se84esqwZQQ/s1600/IMG_3212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QgDIQo1pRMQ/UkpatiTw2TI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Se84esqwZQQ/s640/IMG_3212.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And yes, they were delicious, but I now I have to stop myself from wasting all my weight watchers points on eating every last one of them.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Which brings me to my next picture.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-smA5HjBN4/UkpZ-Njka-I/AAAAAAAAAvU/mPjZxWztyI0/s1600/IMG_3211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l-smA5HjBN4/UkpZ-Njka-I/AAAAAAAAAvU/mPjZxWztyI0/s640/IMG_3211.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I started Weight Watchers two and a halfish weeks ago, I've lost about 11 pounds and am down from &nbsp;180 at the end of my Arizona trip (rootbeer floats for breakfast, yo) to 169. So that's good I guess. It's progress, so I'll take it, but I've still got another 17 pounds until I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight and 34 until I'm back down to my goal. I'm willing to do it slowly though, healthily. I'm eating well and am hoping to take that jogging stroller out for a spin soon for funsies.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ohandplusalso, I've given up meat for a while. I got myself a vegetarian cook book and a bunch of beans and lentils and quinoa and veggies and I'm trying to branch out in my meal planning. I felt as if all of our meals were based around meat and were really boring, so I made a change and I'm learning more about food and variety and I like it. And that's all I have to say about that. At the moment.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it's off to bed so that I can be well rested for whatever adventures tomorrow might hold!&nbsp;</div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-33749671681425095592013-09-30T09:46:00.001-07:002013-09-30T09:46:15.086-07:00While The Blog Was SleepingSo, uh. Arizona was fun. Unfortunately when I got back from the trip I was out of the writing groove, and now too much has happened to sufficiently recap with photos... so instead hows about I just make a list and share a few pictures but not try to be comprehensive?<br /><br />K? K.<br /><br />1. Ruby got her ears pierced in Arizona. This was surprisingly simple and easy. She only cried while they were piercing the ears, and afterwards she was as happy as a recently tearful clam who no longer remembered why she had been crying but just needed to cuddle.<br /><br />2. Football season started, sucking Mr. Llama into its whirlpool of hope and despair and emotion.<br /><br />3. I survived my first flight with a baby, and it was not at all bad because she slept and flirted the whole time.<br /><br />4. Ruby turned three months old and started grabbing for things and staying awake for longer periods during the day. She still isn't rolling over, but no big. That just means she'll stay where I put her and not roll under the couch while my back is turned.<br /><br />5. We got a car!!!<br /><br />Now here is photographic evidence of a few of those things mixed with some cute photos of my kid. I haven't gotten around to scooping the pictures off of my camera yet, but once I do, I'm planning just a giant photo dump around these parts, so prepare yourselves.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jTxVYIAyI/Ukmpju6BveI/AAAAAAAAAuM/5OdeA40Qykg/s1600/IMG_0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i6jTxVYIAyI/Ukmpju6BveI/AAAAAAAAAuM/5OdeA40Qykg/s640/IMG_0019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^The car's name is Dolores, and she is a Sundevil.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-htxjHTH1Y9k/Ukmpivbho3I/AAAAAAAAAuA/cuk4BzpCWOE/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-htxjHTH1Y9k/Ukmpivbho3I/AAAAAAAAAuA/cuk4BzpCWOE/s640/IMG_3088.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^ Earrings!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bktk2QUhuJU/UkmpjruE3CI/AAAAAAAAAuI/kZ9vTpxupus/s1600/IMG_3117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bktk2QUhuJU/UkmpjruE3CI/AAAAAAAAAuI/kZ9vTpxupus/s640/IMG_3117.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^Also an ASU fan.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfyDhN7Sza8/UkmplZeimSI/AAAAAAAAAuY/DMX-KtSw8VE/s1600/IMG_3136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfyDhN7Sza8/UkmplZeimSI/AAAAAAAAAuY/DMX-KtSw8VE/s640/IMG_3136.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^Upside down baby is upside down.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDwondfhZAs/UkmplpXMwMI/AAAAAAAAAuc/Z9FSStdjPoY/s1600/IMG_3149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDwondfhZAs/UkmplpXMwMI/AAAAAAAAAuc/Z9FSStdjPoY/s640/IMG_3149.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>^^^ Ruby's duck face is better than yours.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvZh3nLthBA/UkmpnM88VSI/AAAAAAAAAuo/3LKAHVdSF28/s1600/IMG_3154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rvZh3nLthBA/UkmpnM88VSI/AAAAAAAAAuo/3LKAHVdSF28/s640/IMG_3154.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^She dressed to match her bunny and then tried to eat his face. Babies, man.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqoItX5YsrY/Ukmpo0daQ8I/AAAAAAAAAuw/bvfilM13DfE/s1600/IMG_3174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JqoItX5YsrY/Ukmpo0daQ8I/AAAAAAAAAuw/bvfilM13DfE/s640/IMG_3174.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^At the ASU v. Stanford game in Palo Alto. Doesn't that woman behind us look great? We tots got photo bombed, but she deserves the props.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXwJyl87OXs/UkmppRebiXI/AAAAAAAAAu4/0wZePW4zSVw/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXwJyl87OXs/UkmppRebiXI/AAAAAAAAAu4/0wZePW4zSVw/s640/IMG_3181.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>^^^I call this her "devious baby" look.<br /><br />Now please excuse me while I go eat breakfast and then leave the house with my baby and car and whatnot.<br /><br />Also I have to change a diaper because kiddo just pooped so forcefully I felt the bed vibrate beneath me.<br /><br />Babies.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-79965884280578300692013-09-02T18:37:00.001-07:002013-09-02T18:37:24.590-07:00A Change of SceneryHey guys, so last week my Mama and two of my lovely aunts came to San Jose to visit us, and we spent a great deal of time out and about seeing the sights and such. I'm much more familiar with San Francisco now, but unfortunately I won't have access to my computer to post pictures of our adventures there for about a week and a half... Which brings me to my next point.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Right now the Baby Llama and I are in a car on our way to Arizona to visit some family and friends who haven't had a chance to meet her yet as well as to just spend some good quality time sweltering in the desert heat. It's going to be loads of solid fun.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Now look at my view during the drive!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_COhHHFwRjY/UiU9UgYkteI/AAAAAAAAAtw/epNq4x8uKYg/s640/blogger-image--1452503567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_COhHHFwRjY/UiU9UgYkteI/AAAAAAAAAtw/epNq4x8uKYg/s640/blogger-image--1452503567.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-28352340899585429032013-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-27T08:00:03.386-07:00Wear A BabyBaby Wearing. You may have heard of it, and while it does sound a little like accessorizing with your child, it is so much better. I'm not going to go into too much detail because lets me honest, you likely have access to google and therefore a wealth of information at your finger tips, but I will tell you a little bit about how <i>I</i>&nbsp;babywear. It started with an Ergo. It's a Soft Structured Carrier and it had rave reviews and was half off of its normally 130ish dollars, so I got it. Next, I decided I would make myself a ring sling, because I'd heard great things about how easy they were to get baby in and out of, especially when they are tiny and nursing 27 times a day. So I did it, and it was pretty cool. The sling has been my go to carrier, though Mr. Llama prefers the Ergo. It's simple and easy, though the heavier she gets the less supportive it is.<br /><br />But then I was introduced to the world of woven wraps. Guys, these things are seriously awesome. Basically they're just a very long piece of hand woven, extra supportive fabric. And they're gorgeous. &nbsp;They're meant to last from the new-born phase through toddler-hood (while things like the Moby wrap only last until the baby is around 15 pounds or so), and they're capable of being wrapped in a variety of ways. Front carry, back carry, hip carry, nurse in the wrap, the options are basically endless.<br /><br />So of course I had to have one.<br /><br />And it came in the mail yesterday.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_pLHrJN9pA/UhwUT7F-saI/AAAAAAAAAtI/o0SNSPzXB58/s1600/w1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_pLHrJN9pA/UhwUT7F-saI/AAAAAAAAAtI/o0SNSPzXB58/s640/w1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HP03_7AZVw4/UhwUT8fKBkI/AAAAAAAAAtM/JdCGi4lvzH0/s1600/w2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HP03_7AZVw4/UhwUT8fKBkI/AAAAAAAAAtM/JdCGi4lvzH0/s640/w2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Isn't it lovely!? 4.6 meters of beautiful, soft, supportive woven wrap! I'm so excited! So far we've only tried that one carry pictured above, but I think tomorrow I'm going to spend a great deal of time experimenting with different carries. Maybe I'll even be brave and try to put her on my back!<br /><br />Also from yesterday, I got this cute lil' outfit from Target and now my baby is a princess.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9GomFPPzfB4/UhwVbPQTD3I/AAAAAAAAAtc/11JX96VsbZ4/s1600/r1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9GomFPPzfB4/UhwVbPQTD3I/AAAAAAAAAtc/11JX96VsbZ4/s640/r1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYdtZcaPULs/UhwVbLy1tPI/AAAAAAAAAtY/TancXtFx8C0/s1600/r2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TYdtZcaPULs/UhwVbLy1tPI/AAAAAAAAAtY/TancXtFx8C0/s640/r2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen? Just ignore the attention seeking dog in the background.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-26840162790609689582013-08-26T11:35:00.004-07:002013-08-26T12:50:04.631-07:00A Million Things About My WeekendDo you ever have just a million things to say, but you know if you go into detail about everything people will lose interest and start getting that spacey look on their face that means they're fantasizing about Gerard Butler without a shirt on? That's where I'm at right now. There is SO much I want to tell you about this weekend, but in the interest of sparing you a thousand inane details, I'm going to try and keep it short and simple.<br /><br />Friday Night:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAGlnvbnXKk/UhuZVuYFZAI/AAAAAAAAArc/w8mPtstIPis/s1600/IMG_6812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAGlnvbnXKk/UhuZVuYFZAI/AAAAAAAAArc/w8mPtstIPis/s640/IMG_6812.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29-bzwVYce0/UhuZUgMHAfI/AAAAAAAAArU/O2B2H4uXJDo/s1600/IMG_6821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-29-bzwVYce0/UhuZUgMHAfI/AAAAAAAAArU/O2B2H4uXJDo/s640/IMG_6821.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ArkzKzraLt4/UhuZUatYuxI/AAAAAAAAArI/WkAhBkF_3xU/s1600/IMG_6820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ArkzKzraLt4/UhuZUatYuxI/AAAAAAAAArI/WkAhBkF_3xU/s640/IMG_6820.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ew7fUFcUz20/UhuZXHDYfaI/AAAAAAAAArk/DQBy-lylGlE/s1600/IMG_6824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ew7fUFcUz20/UhuZXHDYfaI/AAAAAAAAArk/DQBy-lylGlE/s640/IMG_6824.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />We received an invitation from some lovely friends of ours to go to the beach after work and roast hot-dogs and marshmallows and devour them until our stomachs were fit to explode. How could we say no? So off we went to Santa Cruz, and did you know the stars are very bright by the ocean, and the sound of waves crashing in the darkness is super soothing and I think I might just buy a tent so that some time soon we can go again and just stay there all night, eating s'mores and being poetic 'n whatnot. PS. Doesn't Rubzabelle look sorta like King Tut in those pictures?<br /><br />Sadly, we had to leave the beach and go home, where we got maybe four hours of sleep before we were up again and off to the San Jose Flea Market.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0t2GNRpqcns/UhubWf1VORI/AAAAAAAAArs/IEOOmsAiSfs/s1600/IMG_6833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0t2GNRpqcns/UhubWf1VORI/AAAAAAAAArs/IEOOmsAiSfs/s640/IMG_6833.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFnlKcbK83Y/UhubjCtscEI/AAAAAAAAAr8/7l47mZyknGI/s1600/IMG_6835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFnlKcbK83Y/UhubjCtscEI/AAAAAAAAAr8/7l47mZyknGI/s640/IMG_6835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gu4WEUPOyzc/UhubfXcuaXI/AAAAAAAAAr0/rzlHgGmgyXs/s1600/IMG_6837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gu4WEUPOyzc/UhubfXcuaXI/AAAAAAAAAr0/rzlHgGmgyXs/s640/IMG_6837.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^ As it turns out, there may be free parking before 8 on Saturdays, but there sure isn't much to do until around 11, which is coincidentally about the time we got tired and left to go to the movie theater... but I digress.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZbUPVPEZXU/UhubnATZlAI/AAAAAAAAAsE/o010ko2TzRo/s1600/IMG_6840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZbUPVPEZXU/UhubnATZlAI/AAAAAAAAAsE/o010ko2TzRo/s640/IMG_6840.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihUKoe7qOpc/UhubtIy22sI/AAAAAAAAAsM/0COF3nl_uao/s1600/IMG_6842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ihUKoe7qOpc/UhubtIy22sI/AAAAAAAAAsM/0COF3nl_uao/s640/IMG_6842.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp; ^^^ We did have fun though, and by 10ish, I'd say three quarters of the vendors were set up and ready to sell their wares. Unfortunately, the food stands were <i>not</i>&nbsp;open, which sucks because I was really looking forward to a hand dipped corn dog. I am a sucker for those babies. Also, Dippin Dots. Yum.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xbezT47g6I/Uhubt7qiq3I/AAAAAAAAAsU/1qDAQ8YyJ0M/s1600/IMG_6846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--xbezT47g6I/Uhubt7qiq3I/AAAAAAAAAsU/1qDAQ8YyJ0M/s640/IMG_6846.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>^^^Also I found this little gem for two bucks. It's a whistle thing you put in your mouth that makes tons of annoying sounds that will drive your husband up the wall but amuse you to no end. I'm keeping it on my bedside table to startle him on occasion. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZrAQwp8SD8/UhubyC6nZQI/AAAAAAAAAsk/YFIV74W7KRM/s1600/IMG_6848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZrAQwp8SD8/UhubyC6nZQI/AAAAAAAAAsk/YFIV74W7KRM/s640/IMG_6848.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>^^^Cute family, huh? No idea who they are. But hi, posing strangers!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1lBzEvOpF8/UhubzNMfbQI/AAAAAAAAAss/1buSXsyrCns/s1600/IMG_6850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m1lBzEvOpF8/UhubzNMfbQI/AAAAAAAAAss/1buSXsyrCns/s640/IMG_6850.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>^^^And then this happened. I have no words.<br /><br />SO. That was Saturday. And because Rebecca Black took the time to teach us the days of the week, we all know that Saturday comes after Sunday (Yeah, I just re-read that, but upon further reflection I'm going to leave it because it actually is a good representation of the educational qualities of Rebecca Black's videos), so that's what's next. Unfortunately, Sunday was not super pleasant.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PFtFrOTlBE/UhufJdZ5FEI/AAAAAAAAAs4/8NpwUcQ6-04/s1600/IMG_2980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PFtFrOTlBE/UhufJdZ5FEI/AAAAAAAAAs4/8NpwUcQ6-04/s640/IMG_2980.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Ruby woke up with gunk in her eye and was sick and unhappy all day long, poor thing. Thankfully, she's doing loads better this morning and though she has a bit of a cough, seems so much happier. Yay for a happy baby. I mean, she woke up three times last night which she hasn't done since she was two or three weeks old, but yay for happiness! Hopefully she starts sleeping better at night as soon as she feels completely well.<br /><br />So that was out weekend condensed into a few pictures and words. And this morning I dropped Leighton off at the airport with a kiss and a butt pat and said good-bye because he's off to Dallas for the week for work which means I get to spend a whole lotta one on one time with baby girl until our special surprise guests arrive on Wednesday.<br /><br />Life is good.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-4945985785127359282013-08-23T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-23T08:00:01.942-07:00What I know about babies. Last night I got to have a really inspiring discussion with a friend of mine. She has a little boy born just three hours after Little Llama. If they had been born in the same country they would have had the same birthday, but alas, the time difference being what it is, he will always be a day younger. But I digress.<br /><br />It started when I read her Facebook status. Apparently someone had talked smack to her about her parenting, and she was very proudly proclaiming that she gave zero figs about their criticism. So we started talking about it, because honestly, our parenting styles are quite similar at this point. I mean sure, our kids are just teeny babies (and by teeny, I mean they're both super chunky and ridiculously adorable), but there's still a lot of parenting to be done at this age. Sure, there's the baby wearing and cloth diapering and breast feeding that we both decided to do... but beyond that there is more. A lot more. There's a philosophy of love and trust that we both ascribe to that is at the root of everything we do, every decision we make as mothers.<br /><br />Thing number one that I know about babies: babies are not adults. I think a lot of parents from older generations (our grandparents age) liked to think of babies as little adults. They expected that in very short order they should be capable of acting like a grown person who could hold their bladder, eat only at meal times, sleep through the night, and not cry aloud. That's the only explanation I can think of for the things I hear old people say about babies sometimes. "You should teach your tiny baby to sleep at night, just keep her up all day." "If you feed your baby all the time, you'll spoil him." "Don't pick her up, she'll start manipulating you and you'll never be able to set her down!" "Just let him cry it out." All of these phrases are things I or friends of mine have heard before or been told, and I don't believe a single one.<br /><br />A baby is not a grown-up. My two month old is not capable of self-soothing when she is very upset. She cannot sleep for twelve hours at a time yet. She does not know what manipulation is and would not be able to understand my manipulating her by ignoring her. All she knows is that two months ago she was being held 24 hours a day, being fed at all hours, able to relieve herself whenever the nerve struck, cuddled and rocked any time I moved... and now she is alone in the world, having to adjust to being hungry, uncomfortable, wet, tired, upset, and lonely. She's learning how to be an individual right now, and it's my job to help her learn, not by ignoring her when she cries, or denying her sleep when she is tired, but by helping her to feel secure in her individuality and guiding her lovingly from her erratic, schedule-less existence into our community of time-frames and dead-lines. It's my job to help her learn and grow, not manipulate her into doing what I want.<br /><br />And that's the root of <i>my</i>&nbsp;parenting philosophy. Babies are meant to be nurtured. We have to understand that babies are people with different needs than ourselves, that they need love and attention and proximity. They need to be comforted when they cry because they cannot understand that we're not coming to them because we want them to be independent, all they know is that we're not going to them when they are scared or hurt or uncomfortable, that they can't trust us to respond to their needs. This doesn't mean that I have to drop everything the moment my daughter fusses, it means I should observe her and respond when it is necessary. At night when she wakes and begins to fuss, I lie in bed for a while, giving her a chance to soothe herself back to sleep or pass gas or whimper a bit if she needs to. Sometimes she doesn't need me after all and falls back to sleep. Other times, her fussing turns in to crying, which after a minute, is my cue to respond. I pick her up, shush her, change her diaper, feed her for a few minutes, and put her back to bed where she falls promptly asleep. I've responded to her needs and now she's content and secure. For me the greatest example of this is my Father in Heaven, who though he allows me my freedom and chances to work through my own problems, is always there when I need him, responding to my pain and sorrow with comforting kindness and guidance. Why should I do any differently? Why should I leave my child in the dark to cry it out alone when by observing and serving her, I can help her to learn to put herself to sleep without teaching her that I am not there for her?<br /><br />Babies are not fruit, they don't spoil. They don't understand manipulation and they aren't trying to take advantage of you by eating at midnight. No amount of ignoring, not picking up, or denying food is going to change their needs, it will just leave them neglected. Instead, I think that we can gently help our children to come to know who they are as an individual inside of a community by observing them and meeting their very real needs for comfort, food and sleep in a timely fashion. The rest of it will fall in to place if we're caring for them with loving patience and kindness.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jDrnQUgAvlI/UhbwrXLIWdI/AAAAAAAAAq4/ueHeObOqBSA/s1600/IMG_6266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jDrnQUgAvlI/UhbwrXLIWdI/AAAAAAAAAq4/ueHeObOqBSA/s640/IMG_6266.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>^^^Not a piece of fruit.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-78688606491659532742013-08-22T13:39:00.005-07:002013-08-22T13:43:34.126-07:00Abolish Needles! When I was a kid, shots terrified me. My one and only memory of getting shots as a child was when I was four or five. We were living in Houston at the time, and I remember my mom taking me and then hiding under a table when they called my name. I'm pretty sure they ended up having to call for me a couple of times, because my mother would try to coax me into going in each time and then fail. Finally, I don't remember how, I ended up in the back were I was traumatized by a nurse sticking me with various needles and then told to stop screaming because I was scaring another, older girl who was there to get shots as well. My mother tells me the nurse had to pin me down with her legs in order to get a clear shot at my thighs and arms, and that afterwards I got pretty sick... both of which probably contributed to the fact that I didn't receive another shot (no, not even of the flu variety) until I was 23 years old, eight months pregnant, and worried that if I didn't get the TDaP vaccine my baby would get whooping cough and die.<br /><br />Of course now that I'm older I try to act tough. When I was 18 I donated blood at a school event (and then wandered around in a lethargic, zombie like state which I have very little memory of for about three hours). Once I got pregnant they drew blood several times to check blood cell counts and sugar levels and whatever else sorts of thing they use pregnant blood for. And then, when I was in the hospital they gave me an IV which hurt like a son of a going in, but I promptly forgot about once the contractions began. So yeah, I thought I'd gotten over the needle thing and discovered that shots are no big thang.<br /><br />Until today.<br /><br />I don't know if you've ever had a little person grow inside of you and then pushed, or had them cut out, of your body... but you get kind of attached. You want them to be comfortable, happy, well adjusted. So you take them to the pediatrician, where they weigh and measure your little person (13 pounds 4 ounces, and 23 1/2 inches; 95th and 90th percentiles respectively) then talk to you about feeding and sleep schedules and developmental mile-stones and baby acne. And then, they send in a nurse to give your precious little one her vaccines, because you want her to be healthy and not get Polio or Rotovirus or any number of awful diseases.<br /><br />Fun fact, babies generally do not like swallowing cold, thick substances that are not breastmilk and probably taste awful. They will cough and splutter and cry until they are forced to swallow. But that's not even the worst part. Turns out babies also don't like sharp, pointy needles jabbed into their chubby little thighs. In fact, they hate it. They scream and scream and scream and their faces turn so red its almost purple and before you know it, you're crying too because it's obvious your tiny baby is in pain and all you can do is hold her arms down to keep them from flailing and it is bad, bad, bad.<br /><br />So needles, not my favorite thing. I kind of wish i could abolish them forever. Because now I've got a fussy little baby with tweety bird bandaids on her chubby chubby thighs and she needs snuggles and probably some tylenol because she feels now so awesome. Poor thing.<br /><br />Now here are two pictures. The first is a before picture from the doctors office, and the second is just a picture I took last night, because I couldn't bear to take an after shot while I was rocking her and crying all alone with my sniffling baby in the empty office room this morning.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOInNnxW8bk/UhZ2x8xgkII/AAAAAAAAAqY/tFVp3WMqyVw/s1600/IMG_2972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AOInNnxW8bk/UhZ2x8xgkII/AAAAAAAAAqY/tFVp3WMqyVw/s640/IMG_2972.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgLXfmSdhGY/UhZ33wPOzOI/AAAAAAAAAqo/Jvaw_K_tH0c/s1600/IMG_2969+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgLXfmSdhGY/UhZ33wPOzOI/AAAAAAAAAqo/Jvaw_K_tH0c/s640/IMG_2969+(1).jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-4008116203972948392013-08-21T12:09:00.003-07:002013-08-22T13:54:48.958-07:00Two Months OldOn Monday, my baby girl turned two months old. Having a child is the weirdest thing. Its the feeling that this little person was just born yesterday, and yet she's been a part of our family forever. I cannot imagine a life before middle of the night feedings or foot bouncing or swaying while I stand because I'm holding a little fussy girl who doesn't want to be still. I wouldn't trade our now lengthy outings and poop explosions for the pristine clothes or quick grocery runs of the past. More importantly, it all feels right, as if this is what my life was taking me towards before it all happened. And I know there is more in store for me, but right now, at this point in time, I am perfectly content to snuggle and admire this little chunkella until her cheeks get even chunkier.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o-8Y1ki1Wu4/UhUPCuUr4xI/AAAAAAAAApg/ZCaq89I68Wo/s1600/IMG_6791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o-8Y1ki1Wu4/UhUPCuUr4xI/AAAAAAAAApg/ZCaq89I68Wo/s640/IMG_6791.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_8CTocDVmc/UhUPCgHlOwI/AAAAAAAAApk/OAHc-mOgmBY/s1600/IMG_6797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_8CTocDVmc/UhUPCgHlOwI/AAAAAAAAApk/OAHc-mOgmBY/s640/IMG_6797.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ6LjjbstNg/UhUPM5CZ1mI/AAAAAAAAAqA/zpvOzBE8l9U/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lJ6LjjbstNg/UhUPM5CZ1mI/AAAAAAAAAqA/zpvOzBE8l9U/s640/IMG_6762.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2sxJo2yN8Y/UhUPMUfAhkI/AAAAAAAAAp4/52YYqkuTYMc/s1600/IMG_6774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2sxJo2yN8Y/UhUPMUfAhkI/AAAAAAAAAp4/52YYqkuTYMc/s640/IMG_6774.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PfbQooIJf14/UhUPC8aqdEI/AAAAAAAAAps/It1UmHXQ9_I/s1600/IMG_6793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PfbQooIJf14/UhUPC8aqdEI/AAAAAAAAAps/It1UmHXQ9_I/s640/IMG_6793.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0sLnhmvICk/UhUPNg-WP4I/AAAAAAAAAqI/kb8t9BXjlnE/s1600/IMG_6788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z0sLnhmvICk/UhUPNg-WP4I/AAAAAAAAAqI/kb8t9BXjlnE/s640/IMG_6788.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />By the way, the cloth diaper thing is going just swell. I'm improving my time and pretty soon I think I'll be good enough to teach Mr. Llama the ways of the cloth (lol) and have a partner in crime. The changes are pretty simple and honestly, I like them better than the disposables. They seem more durable, more...sure of themselves? Not that they're sentient or anything, they just seem more substantial to me.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-73089493295948323402013-08-20T09:16:00.001-07:002013-08-20T09:17:50.224-07:00Happy Birthday, Mama! Happy birthday to the most wonderful mother in the world; she who not only built my body inside of her body, but then proceeded to snuggle me, change my (cloth) diapers, feed me, listen to me cry (for 23 years!) and read me bed-time stories. Mama, I love you and appreciate you more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you a thousand times for being the kind, loving, intelligent, wonderful person you are. I hope you have a fantastic day!<br /><br />And Ruby says "AaaaaAAAAAAaaahhh Heghhhhhaaaaaa. Achoo!" Whatever that means.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uiYXfvAlLuE/UhOVcEej_YI/AAAAAAAAApQ/hTqILC-qJ2Q/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uiYXfvAlLuE/UhOVcEej_YI/AAAAAAAAApQ/hTqILC-qJ2Q/s640/IMG_6677.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Now in completely unrelated news, I thought everyone should know that my cloth diapers are on their last wash before I strap them on the baby. Very soon she will have a fluffy bum which will rival all other fluffy bums in cuteness, and probably take them down in a fight to the fluff. The more you know.<br /><br />Oh! And I did all of the laundry in our house yesterday, which means today I get to put it all away. Joy.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-52534961118564221272013-08-19T16:22:00.000-07:002013-08-19T16:22:03.494-07:00The Little ThingsWelcome to my weekend.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_Z6ZOH7h2E/UhKkiFmDnfI/AAAAAAAAAoc/O11Ap3mVUBk/s1600/IMG_2953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_Z6ZOH7h2E/UhKkiFmDnfI/AAAAAAAAAoc/O11Ap3mVUBk/s640/IMG_2953.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1c4keThO4U4/UhKklQfaUHI/AAAAAAAAAok/qEAiCfVaGAQ/s1600/IMG_2954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1c4keThO4U4/UhKklQfaUHI/AAAAAAAAAok/qEAiCfVaGAQ/s640/IMG_2954.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Good times, right?&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess it's really lucky that my contract is up in a month or two and I was planning on getting a new phone anyway. Maybe Apple will come out with the besets thing yet and I'll get to have a red iPhone that takes a thumb print and I can wear on my wrist like a watch!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--yDQuqSvQj4/UhKkswVwQTI/AAAAAAAAAos/vF5nTPMHO1s/s1600/IMG_2951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--yDQuqSvQj4/UhKkswVwQTI/AAAAAAAAAos/vF5nTPMHO1s/s640/IMG_2951.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Also, today my baby turned two months old. Two whole months! It seems like forever and not long at all at the same time. Weird.<br /><br />And as I was typing this, these showed up at my front door!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6bP3fqrqC4/UhKoPowjLzI/AAAAAAAAApA/L2OQCUPdJXw/s1600/IMG_2956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6bP3fqrqC4/UhKoPowjLzI/AAAAAAAAApA/L2OQCUPdJXw/s640/IMG_2956.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I AM SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED!!!<br /><br />If you can't tell, I'm excited. The cloth diapers are here, and now I'm off to play with them and wash them and get them ready to soak up urine and feces.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-83920124233631360922013-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-16T08:00:08.452-07:00Pity My HusbandI don't know if you know this about me, but I have commitment issues when I shop. It drives Mr. Llama absolutely batty, and I get it, I really do, because I remember being a kid and watching my mom shop in some household store and wanting to rip my hair out. It's just not super interesting watching other people shop for things you're not into, and its worse when you wait and wait for them to find the perfect thing, and then they flake out at the very end.<br /><br />This week we had one of those unfortunate occurrences. I convinced my poor, long-suffering husband to drive me to Joanne's where I was convinced I would buy a pattern and all the cloth I might need to make myself some pocket diapers that I could pre-stuff for on the go cloth diapering.<br /><br />As soon as we got there, Leighton headed for the Savers next door as I made my way to the clearance fabric section were I agonized for 45 minutes about whether or not I wanted to buy some fabric for a new ring sling or a wrap. Ultimately, I decided not to, so I headed back to the patterns where I found one pattern for a pocket diaper with soakers. I picked it up and thought I'd go ahead and use the fabric suggestions on the back to guide my purchases, because I mean, what do I really know about making a cloth diaper?<br /><br />Turns out you need a water proof, breathable fabric, something with wicking abilities thats soft on baby's bottom, elastic, and some velcro. And polyester thread. And if you ask the lady at the fabric cutting station where you can find a water-proof, breathable fabric, she will direct you (after you wait ten minutes to talk to her) to the Polyurethane Laminate (PUL) fabrics in the diaper making section (yeah, I didn't know it existed either) of the store. There, you will find just a few different colors and patterns-- none of which you're willing to pay almost 15 bucks a yard for --and you will continue to agonize and pick up a ton of different things you will need for your sewing adventure before you realize that making these things would cost you more than just ordering them pre-made. C'est la vie.<br /><br />And that's when it happens. You take a deep breath, put everything back, pray your husband doesn't freak out because you spent an hour and a half shopping without purchasing anything <i>again, </i>and leave the store.<br /><br />Welcome to the life of an indecisive shopper.<br /><br />Now if you made it to the end of this you may have a cookie.<br /><br />Also, look at a picture of my baby!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXV_L23y430/Ug0_YIfn4YI/AAAAAAAAAoM/8ZXLSIIFqbs/s1600/IMG_2944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXV_L23y430/Ug0_YIfn4YI/AAAAAAAAAoM/8ZXLSIIFqbs/s640/IMG_2944.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>^^^When she's very sad and throwing a fit, being in her bathtub in the bathroom, preferably with the shower running, is the only thing that seems to make her happy. Babies.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-88880150512092303262013-08-15T10:44:00.000-07:002013-08-15T10:44:28.357-07:00Today is a little boring. So those cloth diapers haven't arrived yet, which I suppose is to be expected as the scheduled delivery date isn't until Monday. Why do things have to be on time?! Why can't they just be early like I want them to be!? Any time I order something online and have to wait for it to be delivered there's a very Christmas like feel in the air, but then, because it's not actually Christmas, my impatience starts to show and I get a little testy and check the tracking number on the item I ordered every few minutes because you never know when your package will have made its way from Massachusetts to California, and once it's in the state you <i>need</i>&nbsp;to know, because otherwise how can you obsess properly?<br /><br />Exercising has been going well by the way; I've been running twice this week so far, and while I didn't go this morning because Baby Llama had a pretty bad night last night sleep-wise, I am planning on heading out this evening once Mr. Llama gets home. There's something about hitting the treadmill or the pavement and getting my heart rate up and sweating all over that I never appreciated before--probably because I wasn't a mom before. Now, I can appreciate the sweet, truly alone time that a work-out brings. I can put in my ear-phones, listen to Lady Gaga, and not have to worry about retrieving someones pacifier for at least 30 minutes. It's divine. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving being a Mommy, and my kid is the sweetest baby in the world, but that doesn't lessen my need for some "me" time, free of any demands. I'm still an individual, and being a mother doesn't change that.<br /><br />And I also found out over the course of my last few work outs that I'm averaging about 12 minutes per mile, which isn't super good, but is better than I expected given my fitness level. So thats motivational and such, and it gives me a starting point to improve on. I haven't really been losing much weight because breast feeding makes me constantly hungry and I'm afraid that not eating will damage my supply and translate to my little chunker not getting enough to eat... but time and endurance I can focus on, so there. It's funny, because I've never really been one for exercise. When I lost weight before it was entirely due to diet. I cut out a <i>lot</i>&nbsp;of foods and watched my portion sizes and focused on what I put into my body rather than what I could get out of it. This time I'm trying it in reverse, being active and eating mostly healthy things whenever I get hungry. It's slow going, but maybe this is what I needed to start building good physical habits that will keep me healthy in the long run?<br /><br />So just to get real for a minute and hold myself accountable, I currently weigh 173 pounds, which is 21 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight of 152. I'm hoping to get down to that weight by Thanksgiving with enough hard work and healthy habits. After that, I've got another 17 pounds to go before I'm back down to 135, where I was when I got married and where I felt at my physical best. Of course, the fact that I'm actually working out now may change my ideal weight by adding on some muscle, so we'll see how that goes... but I will fit into my size sixes again, so help me! We all have to have goals, right?<br /><br />Now before I sign off, I feel compelled to tell you that I'm leaving you so I can watch Supernatural, which at once amuses and terrifies me. I can only watch it during the light of day with all of out blinds wide open and as few trips to the bathroom as possible. You know how scary mirrors can be after you watch something with ghosts in it. Yikes. Please pray for my sanity and that I don't get a UTI from holding it too long.<br /><br /><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-55564862550607982632013-08-14T14:18:00.001-07:002013-08-14T14:18:32.927-07:00No officer, I have not had a drink tonight. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">If you're wondering why I took so long to post today, its because Ruby and I decided to get a teensy bit crafty. More about that in a bit though, because first, I want to tell you about my trip to Target last night. Thrilling, I know, but it was just me in my work out clothes and no makeup and I looked hot hot <i>hot</i>&nbsp;for the officers at the sobriety checkpoint (did you know those exist in California!?) on my way there. I'm honestly surprised I didn't get asked for my number when they were handing me the DUI prevention pamphlet.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Anywho, I got to Target and got to shop without a baby and pick out some knee socks for this morning's project, a play mat because Ruby is really enjoying staring at toys above her these days, a new mop (magic eraser!!!) and a food scale because so many correct portion sizes are given in ounces instead of cups and stuff. What the heck does 1 ounce of pecans look like? Now I'll be able to tell. What else did I get... Oh yeah, a pair of shark socks and a sports movie for Mr. Llama, because he is my honey and I love him very much.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJoMYSihuvs/UgvpEbL4PnI/AAAAAAAAAm8/3jaKKkiVgvY/s1600/IMG_6728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JJoMYSihuvs/UgvpEbL4PnI/AAAAAAAAAm8/3jaKKkiVgvY/s640/IMG_6728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQrh9U0khow/UgvpAKW6MxI/AAAAAAAAAm0/mGWFBv8riTY/s1600/IMG_6733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gQrh9U0khow/UgvpAKW6MxI/AAAAAAAAAm0/mGWFBv8riTY/s640/IMG_6733.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The play mat was a success by the way. She was so stimulated by it she fell asleep on it this morning and napped for like, three hours. Which means she missed out on what came next.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Baby Legs!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now to make these you'll need the following.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sisterssuitcaseblog.com/2012/08/diy-babylegs-guest-post-from-courtney.html">This</a> tutorial.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://babyrocks.tumblr.com/post/18061409033/diy-babylegs-in-5-minutes-the-easiest-5-step-tutorial">This</a> tutorial too if you're like me and over think <i>everything</i>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpZ3qS86Emg/UgvpGOzjLNI/AAAAAAAAAnI/sCHY8m9cEEA/s1600/IMG_6736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NpZ3qS86Emg/UgvpGOzjLNI/AAAAAAAAAnI/sCHY8m9cEEA/s640/IMG_6736.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^As many pairs of cute ladies knee socks as you can afford from Target (they're $2.50 a piece) and some sewing scissors that your dog chewed up because he is kind of a jerk.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGaxgTjk9wM/UgvpGKxCvFI/AAAAAAAAAnE/b8fH6Xzg5aQ/s1600/IMG_6738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGaxgTjk9wM/UgvpGKxCvFI/AAAAAAAAAnE/b8fH6Xzg5aQ/s640/IMG_6738.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^Your moms old sewing machine which she got second hand and is at <i>least </i>&nbsp;40 years old, but probably more.<br /><br />And a baby.<br /><br />Now follow those instructions linked above and try every single pair of baby legs on her as she sleeps.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaZn6ZTWOZc/UgvpLyuWnUI/AAAAAAAAAnY/Bm5JmByCMjk/s1600/IMG_6742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaZn6ZTWOZc/UgvpLyuWnUI/AAAAAAAAAnY/Bm5JmByCMjk/s640/IMG_6742.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIaJOgewDPo/UgvpQXydfDI/AAAAAAAAAnk/RjoscNFGt8M/s1600/IMG_6743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIaJOgewDPo/UgvpQXydfDI/AAAAAAAAAnk/RjoscNFGt8M/s640/IMG_6743.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQLUbETq2Lc/UgvpUeMMPEI/AAAAAAAAAn0/blOdbstISOc/s1600/IMG_6744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oQLUbETq2Lc/UgvpUeMMPEI/AAAAAAAAAn0/blOdbstISOc/s640/IMG_6744.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zI16945Bm1k/UgvpSLKdo3I/AAAAAAAAAns/ZYHcnafSAms/s1600/IMG_6746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zI16945Bm1k/UgvpSLKdo3I/AAAAAAAAAns/ZYHcnafSAms/s640/IMG_6746.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SJWhbn5FFrY/UgvpVyxkgeI/AAAAAAAAAn8/y6uZxjYW73Y/s1600/IMG_6752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SJWhbn5FFrY/UgvpVyxkgeI/AAAAAAAAAn8/y6uZxjYW73Y/s640/IMG_6752.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Now hurry and feed her because she is awake and hungry and crying! Go go go!&nbsp;</div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-18269002531266480892013-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-13T08:00:07.593-07:00Another Dinner Date in San JoseDate night with a baby is only a little different than date night without. Basically the only big changes for us are that we need to get home earlier so she can go to bed on time and we can have some adult time in the evening, and that one of us has to hold her during whatever activity we chose for the evening. This past friday, it was just a simple dinner.<br /><br />Leighton got a recommendation for a place called Okayama in San Jose's Japan Town from our home teacher who lives in that area. We hadn't been there yet, so we packed ourselves into the car and drove over. The restaurant had its own little private parking lot, so we got to avoid the meters (score!) and only walk a few yards to the front door of the establishment.<br /><br />Once we got in they seated us at a table and one of the waitresses cooed over Baby Llama's little toes and fingers and everythings. It was actually really adorable. We took a while looking over the menu, and finally decided on some Japanese potstickers, teriyaki pork ribs, and a sushi platter. From start to finish, the meal was a win, though we did discover that I am a wuss and can't handle wassabi because I mean that stuff is <i>hot</i>. After the meal, the waitress brought us our check and little scoops of their complimentary green tea ice-cream, which I kinda fell in love with and think I may order a full serving of next time we go.<br /><br />We left the place satisfied and smiling, but then because I am a glutton, we stopped at this dairy-queen like place a few blocks away and I ordered a giant banana split for us to share. There were strawberries and pineapples and chocolate and whipped cream and bananas and ice-cream and we finished it in under three minutes, that's how tasty it was.<br /><br />So basically we had a lovely evening and I regret nothing, even though It's probably going to take me all week to work off the calories I consumed in the banana split alone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOm6MmAq9p4/UgmmAD9BcKI/AAAAAAAAAmk/fehxDaSnUmA/s1600/IMG_2922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOm6MmAq9p4/UgmmAD9BcKI/AAAAAAAAAmk/fehxDaSnUmA/s640/IMG_2922.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^ FYI, I have no idea why i look up and away from the camera when I know someone is taking a picture of me eating. I guess its just one of those endearing quirks you will grow to love about me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wlLg4Cv-pkQ/Ugml90ejhbI/AAAAAAAAAmI/ro1koOaWc7s/s1600/IMG_2916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wlLg4Cv-pkQ/Ugml90ejhbI/AAAAAAAAAmI/ro1koOaWc7s/s640/IMG_2916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xch-Yz14La8/Ugml9sU_J2I/AAAAAAAAAmE/Ua613rpVFmA/s1600/IMG_2917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xch-Yz14La8/Ugml9sU_J2I/AAAAAAAAAmE/Ua613rpVFmA/s640/IMG_2917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kmUocC-xgh4/Ugml-HPhJkI/AAAAAAAAAmM/J83nsTcrX7E/s1600/IMG_2919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kmUocC-xgh4/Ugml-HPhJkI/AAAAAAAAAmM/J83nsTcrX7E/s640/IMG_2919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bn2VL0nNN2M/Ugml_vXKZPI/AAAAAAAAAmc/8H5kqXiDI3c/s1600/IMG_2924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bn2VL0nNN2M/Ugml_vXKZPI/AAAAAAAAAmc/8H5kqXiDI3c/s640/IMG_2924.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-68462756067199343312013-08-12T10:19:00.001-07:002013-08-12T10:19:32.332-07:00Turns Out I'm a Little HippieIn babylandia, Little Llama slept for a full eight hours in a row last night. <i>Eight hours</i>! And then, <i>then</i>&nbsp;she when back to sleep for another two and a half hours. Thats ten and a half hours of sleep!!! Which means I got a full eight hours myself, and some baby free hours in the evening. It was magical, you guys. Now please keep your fingers, toes and other appendages crossed that she'll continue to sleep for such an awesome length of time at night. And if she wants to cut out that feeding between eight and ten hours, I'd totally support her in that too and just fill her full of even more milk calories during the day.<br /><br />Also breaking news, we've run out of the disposable diapers so many friends and family generously gave us. They got us through the new-born phase and a month of size ones, and now we're faced with the prospect of buying our own diapers. So after a lot of research and conversations with people who know, I decided to do something radical and switch from disposables to cloth diapers. Ick, gross, I know. Haven't I heard that cloth diapers means I'll have to scrape poo into the toilet and deal with leaks all over and do laundry every three hours? Yes, I have heard those things, but it turns out they are actually wrong.<br /><br />In reality, cloth diapers are a lot easier to use than you'd imagine, super cost effective, leak way less than disposable diapers, and (for the amount I ordered) only need to be laundered every third day. I'll be &nbsp;using something called a <a href="http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/prefolds.html">prefold</a>, which is a flat, cushy piece of cloth that you just wrap around baby like a diaper and close using a <a href="http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/snappi.html">snappi</a>&nbsp;(a magical invention much like the thing that holds an ace bandage in place, but designed for diapers). Prefolds are not water proof though, so I'll also be using covers, which are a <i>ton</i>&nbsp;better than the rubber pants we used to wear as babies. Also a ton cuter. <a href="http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/thirsties-duo.html">See</a>?<br /><br />So now I have prefolds, covers, snappis, as well as a special laundry bag for the diapers on order and should be receiving them either the end of this week or the beginning of next... which means I shouldn't have to buy disposables again until we're traveling somewhere where we don't have access to a washer and dryer. Bam. How is that for a productive weekend?<br /><br />Oh andplusalso we went to church where my baby was the fairest of them all (I don't even care if I'm biased) and here's proof.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yINYWVOLrr4/UgkYTsIialI/AAAAAAAAAls/2EUQdxkBJDU/s1600/IMG_2936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yINYWVOLrr4/UgkYTsIialI/AAAAAAAAAls/2EUQdxkBJDU/s640/IMG_2936.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3v3yeUiSoE/UgkYUFgLf3I/AAAAAAAAAlw/l1WkxhBxN4o/s1600/IMG_2927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d3v3yeUiSoE/UgkYUFgLf3I/AAAAAAAAAlw/l1WkxhBxN4o/s640/IMG_2927.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>^^^Okay, <i>okay</i>, this one is from Saturday, not Sunday. But you get my point.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-1226865438738414432013-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:002013-08-12T20:07:10.141-07:00We're Going on an Adventure!I live in a magical place. With just a little bit of exercise I can get to a paradise of intriguing things and delicious things and all sorts of other things to keep me occupied in the middle of the day. Yesterday for example, I strapped Baby Llama to my chest and went for a walk. We ended up on Lincoln Avenue where dwells that delicious little creamery which I managed to avoid, along with a bunch of tiny boutiques with lovely things I'm not rich enough to buy on a whim. Seriously though, some of the clothes make me almost explode with want and then die of regret when I walk away without them. Walking into all of these cute shops is like walking into Anthropologie and then leaving because you can't afford anything but a discounted button, except there are multiple shops, so your heart gets to break multiple times. On the plus side, often times they do inspire me to go on a pinterest rampage and get my craft on, so there's that.<br /><br />I feel I must confess to you at this point, that while I did manage to avoid the creamery and its siren call, I did wander into an adorable little candy shop with all sorts of fantastic candies I'd never heard of and a gelato bar, and a chocolate case with something called a haystack, which is a pile of coconut drenched in chocolate and delicious to the taste but pretty pricy and probably far more calories than I should have been eating. And as the girl behind the counter sold me my chocolate fix, she told me that the copy of Willy Wonka which was playing at the back of the store on a flat screen played on repeat and had for the past year and a half of her life. At this point I took my chocolate, expressed my sincerest sympathy, and walked out of the store. I saw this on my way out.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8F6UymfMJA/UgMKcXbUjTI/AAAAAAAAAlY/WkuFAWQuOpM/s1600/IMG_2897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_8F6UymfMJA/UgMKcXbUjTI/AAAAAAAAAlY/WkuFAWQuOpM/s640/IMG_2897.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I was <i>not </i>&nbsp;brave enough to try it, but perhaps next time.<br /><br />So I kept walking and wound up in several different shops where I was tempted to buy lots of pretty things and wound up having a conversation with a lady about my baby sling and spinal blocks and how she was a gifted child and had a gifted child and was writing a book about it or something. It was all a little vague and took place in one of those shops where they sell incense and tarot cards and books about mysticism, so I'm not sure I really got everything she was talking about.<br /><br />Anywho, I found myself at the end of the street next to a Starbucks on the corner (because this is California) and so I got myself a glass of water because I was thirsty.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2I9xoWxon0/UgMKZQaJDsI/AAAAAAAAAk8/ZeknDfM6E4Q/s1600/IMG_2902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2I9xoWxon0/UgMKZQaJDsI/AAAAAAAAAk8/ZeknDfM6E4Q/s640/IMG_2902.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />And so Ruby and I sipped water and slept and made our way to the library where I nursed her in front of this woman who gave me awkward sorts of looks whenever baby made any slurpy noises. Then she gave me this little milk drunk look and I melted.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6WW61NIHcU/UgMKafyH-SI/AAAAAAAAAlE/mbEdQ6rEciI/s1600/IMG_2904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z6WW61NIHcU/UgMKafyH-SI/AAAAAAAAAlE/mbEdQ6rEciI/s640/IMG_2904.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />After that we just sorta hung out in the children's section of the library (which is sweetacular) until Mr. Llama got off of work and rescued the pair of us and took us home to watch the office. It was good times.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QuBzXo3he3M/UgMKcOqmJ9I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/0GrY7ab6XQA/s1600/IMG_2908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QuBzXo3he3M/UgMKcOqmJ9I/AAAAAAAAAlQ/0GrY7ab6XQA/s640/IMG_2908.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Andplusalso, I am going to express just once more how thankful I am to live someplace where the high can be in the mid-seventies in August and I can take my baby on exploratory walks around the neighborhood during the hottest part of the day.<br /><br />Now on a completely unrelated note, <a href="http://amenalready.tumblr.com/post/47931262934/questions-and-answers">here</a> is a link to piece written by a tumblr blogger I've recently discovered and adored. Normally she posts funny gifs, but sometimes she gets serious. This article just described how I feel about my faith so perfectly that I wanted to share. Go forth and read or not, my lovelies!Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-2734712322956724922013-08-07T10:31:00.001-07:002013-08-07T10:31:12.386-07:00A Little about ExerciseWould you like to know what I'm eating right this very second? Oatmeal. And it is delicious. This morning its flavored with some honey and a spoonful of peanut butter, because I mean why not? I have recently discovered that oatmeal is also tasty with some mixed berries and agave nectar mixed in, in case you were wondering. Also, I'll have you know I only had to get up three times while typing this paragraph--hang on--four times to give a screaming baby back her pacifier friend.<br /><br />This morning I'm being productive again. I've already got some more laundry in the washer and made myself a hot breakfast and played with the baby. Next up is hopefully exercise followed by a quick shower and some sewing. Speaking of exercise, I've been doing fairly well at it (knock on wood) for the past few days.<br /><br />I started 30 Day Shred on Friday, took the weekend off and then picked it back up on Monday, It kicked my tush in a serious way, but I did it again yesterday and added some little hand weights... which proceeded to kick my rear even more. But I love it--well, not the workout but the way if feel once it is over--so I'm going to keep it up and hopefully with some proper diet and a lot of effort I'll be down 20 pounds by the beginning of October, which will put me at my pre-pregnancy weight And then by the new year I'm hoping to be down another 20 pounds and at 135 again. But really as long as I'm losing steadily I'm okay with getting back in shape at whatever pace my body manages.<br /><br />Oh! And last night I went running for the first time in ages! Yeah it was on the treadmill, and <i>yes</i>&nbsp;it was only a mile, but I did that mile in just a little over 12 minutes, which is faster than I've ever done before. So there. Small victories. And I'd also done my other work out that morning, so I was double a champion. And while we're on the subject of champions, I think its important that you know I went out by myself for the first time since the baby was born. Mr. Llama came home around eight after a late meeting and some basketball and watched the kidlet while I ran out to return a red box and spend his hard earned money at Target on diapers and sports bras. Only one of which were for me. And guise, the bras are <i>hot</i>. I got a highlighter yellow one and a pink chevron one, and they actually did a good job of keeping the girls in check when I ran.<br /><br />So now you know. Feel free to hold me accountable with the exercise thing, ask me how its going and whether I've devoured any cookies lately. I'd count it as a personal favor. For realsies.Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-73113974337402469212013-08-06T12:24:00.001-07:002013-08-06T12:24:50.614-07:00Triumph In The MorningToday I woke up around eight and made magic happen. I dunno if you're aware, but getting things done with a teeny baby around is kinda difficult, so when I am able to accomplish the things on my list in a minimal amount of time, it's a triumph. This morning I managed to feed the baby (twice), change the baby (four times), eat breakfast, exercise, shower and bathe the baby, do laundry, defrost chicken for grilling and watch several episodes of the office. All before noon.<br /><br />Success!<br /><br />And yesterday was also awesome in the getting things done department. I woke up and took Leighton to work, stopped at a fabric store where I bought some gauze fabric for a baby wrap and some more swaddle blankets, and then ran to the optometrist where I had them order me some new frames because the ones they gave me on Friday lost a decorative piece after like, an hour of wearing them. And then in the evening we did our grocery shopping and I was in bed by 9:00 to try and catch up on sleep I'd lost the night before while driving home from our trip.<br /><br />Now its almost lunch time and there are some rumblies in my tumbly and the baby looks like she is about to wake up from her nap, so I'll make the rest of this quick and just post some photos already.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-12QsRQ4u7oM/UgFMM2hXTwI/AAAAAAAAAkk/6rXPwgiqciA/s1600/IMG_2884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-12QsRQ4u7oM/UgFMM2hXTwI/AAAAAAAAAkk/6rXPwgiqciA/s640/IMG_2884.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>^^^This is what a freshly fed baby looks like first thing in the morning as you take off her jammies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta9rw_Ic8C4/UgFMNbiNDNI/AAAAAAAAAko/neouK1hO7PQ/s1600/IMG_2885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta9rw_Ic8C4/UgFMNbiNDNI/AAAAAAAAAko/neouK1hO7PQ/s640/IMG_2885.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^And <i>this</i>&nbsp;is what she looks like once she is wearing just a clean diaper and you're making silly faces at her.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3niPxnKmuXg/UgFMLFgk7eI/AAAAAAAAAkU/CEjPf4QUc7w/s1600/IMG_2850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3niPxnKmuXg/UgFMLFgk7eI/AAAAAAAAAkU/CEjPf4QUc7w/s640/IMG_2850.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">^^^But then if you give it half an hour she'll look like this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkYDmkTgSl0/UgFMMeUtLwI/AAAAAAAAAkc/cDGOEomfQxY/s1600/IMG_2881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UkYDmkTgSl0/UgFMMeUtLwI/AAAAAAAAAkc/cDGOEomfQxY/s640/IMG_2881.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>&nbsp;^^^No worries though, because if you have a couple of sturdy rings and a scarf you can do this and she'll sleep happily on your chest until she is ready to rinse and repeat.<br /><br /><br />Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5446942134434686393.post-67849924824286307482013-08-05T15:19:00.001-07:002013-08-05T15:19:10.152-07:00Weekend Recap <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend we decided to take a spur of the moment trip to San Bernadino where my aunt lives. My father has to travel from Phoenix to LA every month for his Army weekend, and this time he decided to &nbsp;drive with my Mom who wanted to spend the weekend with her sister in the lovely mountain home she has. So we decided to drive down and crash their party. I don't think anyone minded. This little girl is like a golden ticket, I tell you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The drive there took us about seven hours, but it was totally worth it. I got to spend time with my Mama all day Saturday, and then that evening we drove down the mountain and into Corona where we met my Dad for dinner. Add to that the fact that my aunt and uncle got to meet their great niece for the first time and it was a pretty winning stay.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfc1P6M34SY/UgAbUAVu-uI/AAAAAAAAAik/kJph_cupqOg/s1600/IMG_6665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zfc1P6M34SY/UgAbUAVu-uI/AAAAAAAAAik/kJph_cupqOg/s640/IMG_6665.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PgcYAdZee_E/UgAbVxK2SkI/AAAAAAAAAis/yh66hpqkZks/s1600/IMG_6670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PgcYAdZee_E/UgAbVxK2SkI/AAAAAAAAAis/yh66hpqkZks/s640/IMG_6670.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyeH0BURYUY/UgAbiaxdIHI/AAAAAAAAAi8/dt5JpBy066Y/s1600/IMG_6674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OyeH0BURYUY/UgAbiaxdIHI/AAAAAAAAAi8/dt5JpBy066Y/s640/IMG_6674.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d416JufwHvU/UgAbiikszJI/AAAAAAAAAjA/gZY1vL4EjMg/s1600/IMG_6677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d416JufwHvU/UgAbiikszJI/AAAAAAAAAjA/gZY1vL4EjMg/s640/IMG_6677.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVjYMKX6zNo/UgAb6KxGbXI/AAAAAAAAAjM/F0UFq0ePkvU/s1600/IMG_6679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVjYMKX6zNo/UgAb6KxGbXI/AAAAAAAAAjM/F0UFq0ePkvU/s640/IMG_6679.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fT_sfO9UNt8/UgAb6zEnGCI/AAAAAAAAAjU/QLJTm4hAUdk/s1600/IMG_6683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fT_sfO9UNt8/UgAb6zEnGCI/AAAAAAAAAjU/QLJTm4hAUdk/s640/IMG_6683.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, something about the car ride transformed my normally angelic baby into the fussiest of fussellas on Saturday... all the way until she crashed at 10:30 that night and then slept for six straight hours. It was like magic. And then all of the sudden she was a happy baby on Sunday, spending her time snoozing and smiling and cooing. Which was good, because she still had a couple more people to meet.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><span style="text-align: left;">By happy coincidence, my sister in law Brittany and her husband Joshua happened to be in San Diego that weekend, and they were able to take a detour from there to San Bernadino on their way home, to meet their niece. We met at the Cheesecake Factory in Victoria Gardens (where I ate a slab of dulce de leche cheesecake because I mean, who goes to the Cheesecake Factory without eating something delicious?) and ate and chatted and admired tiny fingers and toes and the most scrumptious cheeks ever. &nbsp; And then we meandered back to our vehicles and Tia Brittany got to try on my ring sling and wear Ruby for a while as Tio Josh looked on and grinned and grinned and grinned.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrtyzCfCrPY/UgAiu0ZO74I/AAAAAAAAAjs/M5oe0i0GyGc/s1600/IMG_6694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hrtyzCfCrPY/UgAiu0ZO74I/AAAAAAAAAjs/M5oe0i0GyGc/s640/IMG_6694.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASYMZej0v_w/UgAit8Sah2I/AAAAAAAAAjk/FZiTZiiZV-c/s1600/IMG_6696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ASYMZej0v_w/UgAit8Sah2I/AAAAAAAAAjk/FZiTZiiZV-c/s640/IMG_6696.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LFH1CvJ31fc/UgAi24Gs7LI/AAAAAAAAAj8/BHaZPZUHAuI/s1600/IMG_6698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LFH1CvJ31fc/UgAi24Gs7LI/AAAAAAAAAj8/BHaZPZUHAuI/s640/IMG_6698.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6d6wQ0d-4-0/UgAiznJiohI/AAAAAAAAAj0/BznCIDY9C4w/s1600/IMG_6699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6d6wQ0d-4-0/UgAiznJiohI/AAAAAAAAAj0/BznCIDY9C4w/s640/IMG_6699.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18JWzB5Ky5Y/UgAi23iTYLI/AAAAAAAAAkA/puL6CmNvAjk/s1600/IMG_6710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-18JWzB5Ky5Y/UgAi23iTYLI/AAAAAAAAAkA/puL6CmNvAjk/s640/IMG_6710.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">I always underestimate how much saying goodbye to people I love is going to suck, even when I know I'll see them again soon. Leaving behind my parents and aunt and uncle--watching Brittany and Josh get into their car as we headed off to San Jose... it was the worst. Still, chin up and all that. Next month I'll be in Arizona spending time with all of them plus more, so until then I'll just hang on to this weekend and realize how truly blessed I am to have not only a spectacular husband and precious daughter, but an amazing extended family full of people who love and support me, even from afar.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Love, Llama.&nbsp;</div>Lidia Smithhttps://plus.google.com/106165327302563707155noreply@blogger.com0